The Sky is Blue Because it Misses the Moon
by Seijoutai Priire
Summary: "All good fiction starts with ‘what if’." What if Mamoru broke up with Usagi? What if she got so depressed that she went to America and didn’t come back? What if someone else took her place…?


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The Sky Is Blue Because It Misses The Moon

~AN: Ok, ok. You want credit, Coru? Here's credit. I stole Coru's opening lines. Oooo, bad me. ;-) And, of course. None of the characters except Seijoutai Priire belong to me. And she's mine. Don't use her or I'll go Sith on you and kick your tail.

~AN: None of the writing in this fic or its sequel are StarMoon cannon. Alternate universes RULE!~

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"All good fiction starts with 'what if'." What if Mamoru broke up with Usagi? What if she got so depressed that she went to America and didn't come back? What if someone else took her place…?

~*~*~*~*~

__

'Usagi, we can't see each other anymore. I just don't feel the same way about you. Go away Usagi!' The words he'd said to her echoed bleakly in Mamoru's mind. He had broken up with her, driven her away, and now she'd never come back. Usagi had left the country, and gone to America because she said there would be nothing to remind her of him. Mamoru almost hated himself for hurting her so badly that she had run away. Now he'd never see her again.

Mamoru walked around Tokyo unhappily. He had no idea what to do to get her back, but he knew he must. If only he hadn't broken up with her! If only she hadn't taken it so hard! If only she hadn't left. If only…

This was the line of thought he was traveling down when he saw the girl. He was surprised to see a Sailor Senshi. That's what he was sure she was, but he could make almost nothing of what she wore. The girl rolled over and groaned. Mamoru was unable to leave anyone in such a state, especially a Senshi. He wondered for a moment if she might be evil, seeing as she had on a very dark Sailor suit. He decided to help her no matter what.

It looked as if this Senshi had just been in the fight of her life and lost. The girl moaned again and opened her eyes. They were sea green and troubled.

"You look awful," Mamoru said, giving her an encouraging smile.

"You," she croaked, then started again. "You should see the other guy."

Mamoru laughed. He was surprised that a girl who was so hurt she could hardly move could still joke around. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Sa…Sailor Asteroid, Senshi of stone, defense, and redemption. At your service…or I would be if I could get up." Her sea green eyes glazed over and her head rolled limply. Mamoru checked her pulse and breathing. She was still alive, but needed his help. Badly.

~*~*~*~*~

Sailor Asteroid blinked her eyes open and looked up at the man above her. It was a familiar face, but where had she seen it before? Oh, now she remembered. He was the one who helped her. "Hi," she said, her voice cracking from disuse.

"Hello. I'm Mamoru," the dark haired man smiled down at her.

She returned the smile and tried to sit up. He laid and gentle but firm hand on her shoulder and forced her down. "Don't try to get up. You're very hurt."

"I know," she sighed. "Where am I am anyway?"

"Tokyo," he replied.

She gave him a blank look. "What planet is that on?"

Mamoru was puzzled. "It's on Earth."

"Earth…" her voice trailed off. "How the sithspit did I get here?"

She seemed shocked. Mamoru asked her why she was so surprised.

Sailor Asteroid looked at him. "Because I don't belong here."

Mamoru laughed again. She was a funny girl. "Where do you belong?" he asked her, politely.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

The girl shrugged, scattering her blonde braids around her cheeks. "It's a Sailor Senshi thing."

"Don't worry about it then," he smiled. "Just rest."

The girl closed her eyes again, and drifted off into a healing sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

When she awoke the second time, another face was over hers. Knowing she was in a vulnerable position, Sailor Asteroid let her hand rest on her thigh, under the covers, where one of her many knives was positioned for easy access.

Her vision cleared and she saw a blue haired girl. The girl was in a Sailor suit, and smiling.

Always suspicious, Asteroid wondered about the coincidence of meeting a Senshi so close after the time she'd spoken to Mamoru.

"I'm Sailor Mercury," the girl told her. "Tuxedo Mask—Mamoru—called us. These are Sailors Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."

"I'm Sailor Chibi Moon," offered a cute girl with pink hair.

"Pleased to meet you," Sailor Asteroid said politely. "I'm Sailor Asteroid."

"He told us your name," a longhaired blonde said smiling. Asteroid remembered that this was Sailor Venus. "He also said that you had something to say that you could only say to Senshi."

"If I talk to you," Sailor Asteroid said with a deceptively pleasant smile, "I will be stepping out on faith. I must trust that you really are what you claim to be."

"We are." The statement of fact came from Sailor Mars. The dark haired beauty flipped her hair behind her shoulder and leaned nearer to the hurt blonde. "Trust me, we are what we say we are."

"I have to trust you," she shrugged. "I'm not from around here. I'm not even from this galaxy. Do you understand that?"

They nodded. Tuxedo Mask joined them and listened carefully.

"I don't know why I'm here. I can't even tell you how I got here. The Senshi from my galaxy and I were fighting the evil that has almost taken over and suddenly I was here. My friends need me. So why am I here?" Sailor Asteroid wondered aloud.

Mercury typed into her computer. "There is only a very little bit about you in here. It says that you can fight in our galaxy easily. It must be because of the asteroid belt in our system." She pecked away at the keyboard. "The computer doesn't have much else. Wait, it says you're here to replace someone…"

Tuxedo Mask looked away, then at the hurt blonde. "Usagi. You're here to replace our leader, Sailor Moon."

All the girls looked at him. "What?"

He clarified what he meant. "Without Sailor Moon, we've been faltering. There hasn't been a clear leader. I think that Sailor Asteroid is here to lead us until she comes back."

"Why did she leave?" Asteroid asked.

Sailor Jupiter answered for him. "Her boyfriend, Tuxedo Mask, broke up with her."

The girl looked puzzled. "Am I missing something here?"

"Yes. You see, she loves—loved, I guess—him. It's kind of a sore subject," Sailor Venus cautioned.

"I understand," Asteroid told them. She pushed herself into a sitting position and stretched. "Do you want me to follow Tux's suggestion and lead you?"

They nodded. "Please," Mercury asked. "It'll be for the best."

"All right. What do I do?" Sailor Asteroid asked, grinning.

Sailor Asteroid—or Priire, which was her non-Senshi name—fit well into the role she'd taken on. Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako had told her most of what she needed to know about the evil they were fighting. Priire listened carefully, cataloguing each word for future reference.

"How are you going to explain me all the sudden hanging around you people?" she asked.

Minako shrugged. "You'll just be one of our school friends."

Mamoru shook his head along with Priire. "That wouldn't really work. She doesn't go to school with any of you, and with those braids and her height she's very distinctive. Anyone would recognize her anywhere. There has to be some other way."

"I think I have an idea." Priire looked speculative, with no trace of humor. "I hate to suggest it…but what if we pretend that I'm your girlfriend?" she offered, hesitantly to Mamoru.

He looked away from her and thought about it for a moment. He hated the idea. Hated it. But it did make sense. Mamoru nodded agreement, then walked out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

"And in other news tonight, the recent rash of youma attacks has abated, thanks in part to a new Sailor Senshi. This dark suited Sailor was first seen yesterday. Our cameras were at the scene…"

"Hey, people! We're on TV!" Priire yelled. The others ran to the room where she sat watching the news. Priire ran her fingers through her braided hair. She always wore her golden locks in close, tight braids.

They saw the four Senshi and Chibi Moon standing on a ridge, each one seeming to appear as they spoke. First Sailor Venus appeared, then Mars, then Mercury, then Jupiter, and lastly Chibi Moon. The four held their pose for a second as a new figure appeared. Her fuku was black as night with a dark blue skirt and top. Her bows were short and gray. The blonde girl was almost as tall as Jupiter, and stood as if she was in command. "Senshi of stone, defense, and redemption…I am the Dark Sailor, Sailor Asteroid! In the place of the moon, I'll punish you!"

Sailor Mars threw her burning fire and Jupiter sent her deadly lightening toward the youma. With a flick of her wrist Asteroid brought down a hailstorm of asteroids, pelting the creature. Sensing the previously unknown threat, the creature turned its attack on Sailor Asteroid and shot a stream of energy at her. It was blocked by a red rose. The blonde grinned at Tuxedo Mask as he helped her up. Chibi Moon distracted the monster with her attack while Asteroid was getting up.

"…As you can see, this new 'Sailor Asteroid' seems to have taken the place of the former leader, Sailor Moon. How long this will go on and if Sailor Moon will ever return is unknown. Please contact us if you have any other information."

Priire looked at the other Senshi. None of them wore anything close to expression of joy. Mamoru looked away. He thought about what he said to Usagi, and how badly it must have hurt the girl. Makoto, Ami, Raye, and Minako all rushed into the bathroom at one time to get a Kleenex.

Closing her eyes and wincing, Priire felt like she was feeling the pain of their separation doubly. She laid a hand on Mamoru's knee and said, "Don't worry."

What is was in those two words, he didn't know. Maybe it wasn't the words. Maybe it was in her eyes. There was a sad pain in the sea green orbs that he was sure reflected his own. "Be strong for them," she told him quietly as the other girls walked back in. Chibiusa had heard the commotion and walked in with the others.

"What happened?" the little girl asked.

Priire smiled at her gentle and told her they'd seen something sad on TV. Chibiusa nodded. Priire winced as if someone had kicked her. "Ouch!" she protested as the feeling came again.

Raye looked at her as if she'd lost what was left of her mind. "What on Earth?"

"I don't know," Priire said though clenched teeth. The sensation was over, so she relaxed. "But it sure hurt."

Mamoru made a non-committal sound in his throat. "You never know," he warned.

~*~*~*~*~

"Mako-chan, these are great!" Priire said, grabbing another.

The tall brunette rolled her eyes. "And I bet you won't help me clean up after them either."

The impish blonde smiled. "Sure, I will!" She splashed her hands into the soapy water and began scrubbing at a cookie sheet.

Ami walked in with her schoolbooks in her arms. "Whew! I hope I did well on that test!"

"Mercury Bubbles Blast!"

"That is not funny, Priire!" Ami said, glaring at her past the bubbles that Priire had blown off her hands and onto on Ami's nose.

~*~*~*~*~

The phone rang in her apartment, so Priire picked it up. "Seijoutai," she said, answering with her last name.

"Priire? This is Mamoru."

She switched the phone around to her other ear, and continued chopping carrots. "Hi, Mamoru. What's up?"

"I forgot to tell you," he sighed, sounding unhappy, "that there's a formal dance I have to go to."

"And?"

"I need you to go with me." Mamoru winced. That hadn't come out right, but Priire accepted it.

"Of course," she replied. "When is it?"

He sighed again. Priire was getting the feeling that he really didn't want to take her, but needed an escort. "In two days. I'll pick you up at six."

"All right," Priire agreed. "I'm sorry," she said to the dead air after he'd hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

At first, Priire wondered if she should even tell the other girls. Perhaps Mamoru had known she wouldn't know what to do, because when she walked into the Sailor Meeting (late) they all converged on her.

"You're going on a date with Mamoru?" Minako squealed.

Surprised, Priire nodded in reply.

Rei almost smiled. "Well, do you have anything to wear? This is going to be a formal occasion."

"What kind of things do you wear here?" Priire was almost shy. She'd never really been out on a formal date before, and their converging on her was a little scary.

"Back off guys, give her some room," Ami said. "For this type of thing you should wear an evening gown. Have you got one?"

Laughing, Makoto responded for the blonde. "Of course she doesn't. If she did, she wouldn't be asking."

"Let's go shopping!" Minako exclaimed. After the other girls shot her annoyed looks, she amended her idea. "For Priire?"

"Good idea!" Ami said in her quiet way.

~*~*~*~*~

The two days passed in a whirlwind of fashion for Priire. The four girls, with Chibiusa helping, showed her almost every kind of dress in almost every color imaginable. They were exquisite on the hanger, but when she put them on—no matter how well they fit—the dresses never seemed to fit her personality. Then, they found it. The perfect dress…the one that every girl wishes she could find and wear even if it's only once. At first Priire didn't want to get it because she was afraid that she really was taking Usagi's place, but everyone assured her it was fine. It was more than fine, it was perfect.

~*~*~*~*~

Makoto peeked out of the bushes. "I don't think we should be hiding here," she whispered.

"Why?" Minako asked.

"Because Priire can see us."

Rei looked at her, surprised. "How do you know she can see us?"

"She's waving at us from that window," Minako replied. The other girls looked ashamed, but Priire didn't seem to mind. She told all of them to come in and help her get ready.

~*~*~*~*~

A knock came at the door, and Priire gestured for one of the other girls to go open it. Priire herself was so nervous that she couldn't hold still. The blonde paced back and forth. Every once and a while she'd twirl one of the curls the Sailors had helped put in her hair around her finger.

"Priire?" Mamoru asked, his voice startling her.

Priire bit her lip and glanced at Minako before turning around. Minako winked at her encouragingly.

Turning around slowly, Priire took a deep breath. She shyly looked up at him through the ringlets that framed her face. His eyes went a little wider than normal, almost as if he hadn't realized that if she wanted to, Priire could look as beautiful as the night sky. That's really what she reminded him of in the long flowing dress. It was the deepest blue imaginable and had small crystals strewn across it. As she moved the outter layer of the dress gathered around her feet and swished making it seem as if she was walking above the ground with the grace of a bird. The layer beneath that was a bewitching black, almost tight fitting, that added the perfect aura of mystery to the outfit. The sea green eyes that looked up at him were full of an innocence he hadn't seen since his first date. Priire was beautiful beyond belief in her star-studded dress. Her braids were piled on top of her head in a cascade of golden strands. A few locks of hair gathered around her face where they'd been curled. he reached out his hand and she put hers in his. She was wearing elegant long gloves with the star-like jewels scattered on it. Priire was gorgeous.

"Let's go," Mamoru said, his voice a little deeper than he would have liked.

~*~*~*~*~

"Mamoru?" Priire asked as he drove them to the ball.

He hardly replied, keeping his eyes on the road as if it was hard to drive.

Hesitantly, Priire reached out a black-gloved hand and laid it on his white-tuxedoed shoulder. That made him turn and look her in the eye. "Mamoru, I'm sorry," she whispered, quietly. "You don't have to do this."

He shook his head, trying to clear it. Something about Priire was familiar; maybe she reminded him too much of Usagi. It hurt him inside to be almost betraying the love of his life like this, but he knew it was necessary. With a smile Mamoru told her that it would be fine.

"If you're sure," Priire said, sounding unsure herself. She leaned back in the seat trying to sort out her feelings. Priire knew that she herself was only playing a part like she'd done so many times before. She was so good at being something she wasn't. The girl refused to think that this time something was different. She refused to wonder what would happen if Usagi never came back.

Her musings were cut short by their arrival. Priire smiled at Mamoru as he opened the door for her like a true gentleman. She felt privileged to be here with him as she took his arm and he led her in.

They appeared at the top of a flight of stairs as the band struck up a soft waltz.

"Care to dance?" Mamoru asked.

Priire's eyes were full of light as she looked at all the people on the dance floor. Their smooth and flowing movements were wonderful to watch. She put a gloved hand to her mouth. "I forgot to ask how," she confessed sheepishly.

Offering her a roguish smile, Mamoru took her hand and swept her on to the floor. "You'll learn," he whispered in her ear.

At first hesitantly, then with more confidence, Priire mimed the movements of the others around her. She found the rhythm and flowed with it. The couple was easily the best out on the floor and after a while everyone stopped to watch their perfectly timed movements.

As the song ended, Mamoru gave Priire a little spin that made her dress twirl around their legs. One of the people on the side commented that he looked like the moon caught up in the night sky.

Priire's face fit with any of the stars in the sky, radiant and beaming. No one could have been able to tell if she was playing a part or not. Something in her face made Mamoru turn away. To keep up appearances, she told herself, Priire followed him out to the balcony. Neither said a word as they watched the moon trail its long sliver beams over the sky. Mamoru turned to Priire to say something, but she wasn't there. He blinked his eyes and looked again, but it wasn't Priire standing there in that wonderful dress. He didn't know how, but it was Usagi. Her eyes were crystal blue like only his beloved's could be. Mamoru bent down and brushed his lips across hers. Her arm went around his waist, and he knew it had to be Usagi. They stood there for a moment before he kissed her again, holding on longer. A tear formed in his eye and fell on her cheek.

Priire was surprised. She didn't seem to be living in her body anymore. Someone else was there, and she was outside. Priire didn't really mind after she realized what must have happened. Somehow, through whatever time, space, and betrayal lay between them, Usagi had come to Mamoru. It was mildly annoying, but Priire was content to let it happen.

Mamoru looked down at the girl he held in his arms. He wasn't really surprised to see that he was looking into Priire's eyes again. "What happened?" he asked, softly.

Her first thought was to tell him what she had guessed, but Priire didn't. "I don't know. But it was beautiful," she offered, whispering into his ear.

He nodded. "Dance?" Mamoru offered.

Silently, they moved back out onto the dance floor rhythmically swaying to the slow music. Mamoru held on to Priire a little tighter than before, but she didn't mind. It was nice to have someone hold her like that, even if it wasn't real.

~*~*~*~*~

Sitting in her favorite chair with a Sailor V comic, Priire waited for the cookies she was baking to finish. Makoto had shown her an easy recipe, and Priire loved it. Sweets were her thing. If it was sweet, the blonde loved it. Luckily, she could eat all she wanted and still stay thin. If only her headache would go away.

~*~*~*~*~

Chibiusa, Minako, and Rei were at Mamoru's house studying. Ami had an academic competition she was attending and Makoto was off doing something more interesting than studying. Priire had begged off with a headache. She didn't need to study anyway.

"Chibiusa, can you toss me a cookie?" Minako asked. She frowned at her paper and fused with her pencil.

The cookie flew over Rei's head into Minako's lap. The blonde glared at Chibiusa. "Hey!"

~*~*~*~*~

Another cookie disappeared off the plate. Before she got it to her mouth, Priire slumped over, falling unconscious.

~*~*~*~*~

Mamoru grinned at the warring trio. He shook his head, trying to clear it off the headache that leapt upon him. The dark haired man stood up then dropped to the couch and fell over.

~*~*~*~*~

Priire looked around. This must be another of her strange dreams. The blonde twirled a braid around her finger trying to figure it out. She always believed that dreams were very significant. There was Usagi. Priire recognized her from pictures she'd seen. The other blonde was riding in a car with one of her friends. A flash of premonition alerted Priire to Usagi's danger a second before the three cars crashed, one in front and one rear-ended them. Somehow, Priire knew that it hadn't happened yet. But when it did happen, she knew with the surety of one who has experienced it that Usagi would die.

~*~*~*~*~

Mamoru saw Priire standing alone and walked over to her. Suddenly she screamed. When the noise came out of her mouth, he saw what she was looking at. A car crash involving Usagi. "Usagi!" he yelled, terrified. Suddenly Priire's screaming stopped.

~*~*~*~*~

Priire knew that she could survive the crash. Her superior training in the avoidance of death would serve her well. However, she must be in the car, instead of here for it to work. Calling on the Sailor powers with in her, Priire traded places with Usagi. She didn't know how long she could hold herself in the new body, but vowed to save the other blonde.

~*~*~*~*~

Mamoru looked at the two and realized it had happened again. Priire was not Priire anymore. Somehow Priire had switched places with Usagi just before the impact. She was trying to save Usagi! He watched the crash with a sick feeling.

Priire's hands went up protecting her face. She knew exactly what to do and was calm even as she was thrown from the car she'd found herself in. Her body relaxed completely and she was hardly hurt. She leaned up on one arm to survey the damage to herself…

~*~*~*~*~

And Priire was back in her body again, standing. The crash and her earlier injuries were too much for her, and she collapsed. Mamoru caught her in his arms carefully, unsure of how badly she was hurt. Priire looked up at him with unfocused eyes as the dream world faded away.

~*~*~*~*~

Minako and Rei stared at the unconscious Mamoru while Chibiusa begged with him to wake up. His eyes blinked open and he spoke one word. "Priire."

"What?" Minako asked, confused. "Hey, where are you going?"

Mamoru looked over his shoulder. "I'll be back!"

~*~*~*~*~

"Priire!" Mamoru called, barging into her apartment.

The girl's head lolled to the side when he tried to lift her out of the chair. "Priire," he said quieter. "Priire, wake up."

"Mamoru?" she asked. He nodded even thought she couldn't see him through her closed eyes.

Treating her like a precious treasure, the dark haired man lifted the Dark Sailor out of the chair and on to the couch. She didn't answer, giving him cause to wonder if she was hurt worse than she looked. Maybe it was just mental exhaustion. Even though he'd done nothing in the three-way dream, Mamoru felt tired himself. Priire looked more than tired; she looked as if she'd just been in the fight of her life. Without thinking, Mamoru pressed his lips gently to her forehead.

Her green eyes fluttered open, and Priire looked at him. "Don't," she begged quietly.

"Why not?"

"Because you can't." Priire leaned up on one elbow, staring at the man kneeling next to the couch. "You can't." The words came out more as a desperate question than anything else.

"Priire, I've been missing something ever since she ran away. When you saved her, I knew it had to be you. And at the dance that night, I saw it in your eyes. I saw my missing piece."

"When I became Usagi?" she asked quietly.

"No, before and after that. I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think I love you, Priire. You're perfect, everything I ever wanted. It's like I've been waiting for you all my life…I loved you before I ever set eyes on you…you are a dream come true," Mamoru said, his voice cracking a little. "I love you."

Priire was silent for a moment, then spoke sadly. "You can't," she said, fighting tears. "You've got to love her." Priire couldn't say Usagi's name. "You've got to be hers and hold her, and…" A tear escaped her eye. "It's destiny."

Mamoru shook his head. "To"—he stumbled over the word, not wanting to offend Priire—"heck with destiny." Then looking into her eyes, deeper than anyone else ever had he asked the question that Priire didn't want to answer, "Do you love me?"

"I can't," Priire said as soft as silk. "But by all that's holy, I do…I do…" Her words trailed off. "It's more than that…I feel safe, secure with you. Ever time you hold me there's a little fire that lights up in my heart…Mamoru, I love you."

He gathered Priire in his arms and just held her. She laid her head on his shoulder, knowing deep inside her that it was wrong, but Priire couldn't do anything about it. She refused to. This was what she always wanted and needed. Now that she had love, there was no way she was going to let it go.

~*~*~*~*~

"Usagi!" Chibiusa cried.

"Chibiusa!" the pigtailed blonde yelled in return, hugging her future daughter. "Where's everyone else?"

The pink haired girl looked offended. "I didn't tell them! Just like you asked!" she yelled.

"I know you didn't," Usagi yelled back. Then calmer she added, "I just wanted to know."

"Well," the younger girl grinned, taking her literally. "Ami and Minako are studying Math together—Minako's grades went way down! Makoto is working, and Rei is at the shrine."

The blonde looked confused. "What about Mamoru?"

"He's with _Priire_."

Usagi recoiled slightly from the emphasis on the word. "Who's _Priire_?" she asked, worried.

"Hi girlfriend." There was even more distaste in Chibiusa's words this time.

The blonde laughed and shook her head. "You made me scared for a moment there, Chibiusa!" She giggled again. "Mamoru would never have a girlfriend other than me! Silly."

Chibiusa looked nonchalant. "You ask them. Priire is a…" The little girl's communicator went off. "Excuse me. Yes?"

"Youma!" Rei informed her. "We need you on the double!"

~*~*~*~*~

The other Sailors arrived on the scene just before Usagi and Chibiusa. Usagi got the full speech. The girl was surprised to see a new Sailor dressed in an almost black outfit.

"Pretty Sailor Solider Sailor Venus! I'll punish you for love and Venus!"

"Pretty Sailor Solider Sailor Mars! I'll punish you for fire and Mars!"

"Pretty Sailor Solider Sailor Jupiter! I'll punish you for power and Jupiter!"

"Pretty Sailor Solider Sailor Mercury! I'll punish you for water and Mercury!"

"Pretty Sailor Jedi Sailor Asteroid! I'll punish you for the stars in place of the Moon!"

"Who is _she_?" Usagi growled. She was very angry that some one had taken her place. "What is she doing?"

Chibiusa shrugged. "I told you. She's Mamoru's new girlfriend."

"Asteroid Shower…POWER!" the blonde yelled, sending deadly asteroids toward the youma.

The rocks pounded into the creature and knocked it to the ground. It was torn to shreds in places. Jupiter used her Supreme Thunder to keep it down.

"Her attack is incredibly powerful!" Usagi noted. "But we need to help."

The two transformed quickly as the battle kept on.

"Asteroid Gravity Force!" The youma was crushed in the area of high gravity created by Aster's attack.

No one had noticed Sailor Moon yet. She waited before launching her attack, watching.

The youma reared back and clobbered Sailor Asteroid. The girl went down, wincing in pain. Her arm came up to protect her face as the youma went for her again. However, before it could connect, a familiar red rose forced it away. Asteroid's face lit in an intimate smile.

"Come on, dreamer," Tuxedo Mask said, helping her up and putting his arm around her shoulders. "We have to get this thing."

"Moon Spiral Heart Action!"

Surprise stiffened the backs of Sailor Asteroid and Tuxedo Mask. They turned as one and stared. "Sailor Moon?" Asteroid asked hoarsely.

Sailor Moon nodded. The youma was destroyed so they had no worries from it. "Who are _you_?"

"I'm Sailor Asteroid. I'm from another galaxy."

"I'm going to send you back in a casket," Sailor Moon muttered where no one could hear.

The other Sailors gathered around. "You're back!"

Sailor Asteroid interrupted the happy reunion. "This is not really the place to do this," she hinted then suggested they all meet up later. Everyone agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Priire, Usagi, and Mamoru walked together, one girl on each side of the man.

"I suppose this means I'm going to leave sometime soon," Priire said quietly.

Mamoru stopped in his tracks. "No. You can't." Priire lifted her eyebrows at him. "Um, Usagi, can you leave us alone for a moment?" he asked.

When the other blonde was reluctantly gone, Mamoru took Priire's shoulders in his hands and stared into her sea green eyes. "You can't leave. What will we do"—he corrected himself—"What will I do without you?"

"You'll love Usagi and live together forever in your palace." Priire looked away with tears in her eyes. "It's destiny."

"I can't escape it, can I." It was a statement of grief and unhappiness. Priire couldn't respond before he spoke again. "What if I forget you?"

She looked down at the ground then smiled at the man who held her. "If you do then I'll come back to remind you." _'I'll always love you,'_ she didn't say. _'And I'll spend all my nights dreaming of you.'_

"Goodbye, Priire," Mamoru said. He held Priire in his arms a moment longer, then brushed his lips across hers.

Priire wanted to just melt into his arms and never leave, but she knew that he had destiny to answer to know. "There is a saying in places I've been to."

"What?" Mamoru asked, not letting her go.

"The sky is blue because it misses the moon."

He laughed softly. "My sky was blue until I met you."

Priire smiled at the unconscious rhyme. "Now," she said, quietly hurting, "you have your moon back, your skies won't be sadly blue anymore."

"No," he agreed. "My sky will be blue because you're gone. I'll miss…the stars."

Priire's breath caught in her throat as she tried to keep her composure. She clenched a fist around his hand, never wanting to let go. "Found me out, did you."

Mamoru nodded. "Priire, I have no idea what galaxy you come from, but wherever or whatever it is, you live among the stars. Whenever I see them, I'll think of you."

~*~*~*~*~

"Priire! Where have you been?" a redhead called out. "We missed you!"

Waking up suddenly, Priire realized that she was back in her galaxy, with her friends…and without Mamoru. "Did I really live that?" she wondered. "Did I really say goodbye?" A look around her beloved starship and all her friends made the blonde realize that she couldn't have been dreaming. She had loved him and lost. Maybe one day they'd see each other again…but for now her sky was blue. She opened her clenched fist to find a rosebud. "Goodbye, Mamoru…Tuxedo Mask," she said to herself. "May your skies be always clear and your stars forever bright."

~*~*~*~*~

__

Read more about Priire in The Sky Is Dark Because The Stars Have Fallen, the sequel to this story.

As mentioned before, none of this is StarMoon cannon.


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